Foods That Increase Bile Flow

by Tracey Roizman, D.C.

Fiber in whole grains and some fruits may increase bile flow.

Your liver manufactures bile primarily from the breakdown products of excess cholesterol, known as bile acids. Bile also contains lecithin, a substance that emulsifies, or disperses, fat particles, and waste products that the liver filters from the blood. The gallbladder stores bile and secretes it into the small intestine when you eat fat-containing foods, where it breaks large fat globules into smaller particles in preparation for the action of fat-digesting enzymes. Healthy, unobstructed flow of bile helps you digest foods and removes excess cholesterol and toxins from the body. Certain foods promote production and flow of bile.

Bitter Foods

Bitter foods offer particular benefits for enhancing bile secretion, according to a study published in a 2011 issue of "International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition." Taste receptors for bitter substances trigger your pancreas to secrete digestive enzymes and your gall bladder to release bile. Bitter artichoke, Cynara cardunculus, also known as cardoon, traditionally recommended by herbalists to stimulate appetite, relieve nausea and improve liver function, increases bile secretion by up to 150 percent. Bitter artichoke has also been shown to reduce abdominal pain, bloating and constipation. Native to the Mediterranean, bitter artichoke is related to the globe artichoke and has a mild, artichoke-like flavor. However, instead of the flower bud, the stalk of the plant is eaten.

Whole Grains

Whole grains improved bile flow in an animal study published in the May 2012 "Journal of Hygiene Research." In the 8-week study, a group that ate a diet supplemented with a mixture of whole grains showed significantly increased bile secretion compared to a group that consumed a diet supplemented with white rice flour. A study published in the December 2005 "British Journal of Nutrition" demonstrated bile-stimulating effects of oat bran. Animals that ate diets containing 500 grams of high-fiber oat flour per kilogram for 6 weeks showed higher bile acid secretion than a control group that ate an oat-free diet.

Fruits

Fiber in some fruits might increase bile production, according to an animal study published in the June 2009 "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry." In the study, researchers modified insoluble fiber found naturally in starfruit and orange. The resulting smaller-sized fiber particles increased excretion of bile acids by 133 percent in a group of animals that ate diets supplemented with the fiber compared to a control group that did not receive fiber-supplemented diets. Additionally, the modified fruit fiber was 4 percent more effective at stimulating bile flow than unmodified fruit fiber.

Dandelion Root

Dandelion root, a highly regarded food and herb for supporting liver health, contains a compound called taraxacin, that promotes bile flow and helps to decrease liver congestion, according to nutritionist Jonny Bowden, author of "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What You Should Eat and Why." You can prepare dandelion roots in similar ways to parsnips or make a beverage from dandelion root by drying then grinding it and brewing as you would tea or coffee.

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About the Author

Tracey Roizman has been a writer and speaker on natural and preventive health care since 1995. She holds a B.S. in nutritional biochemistry and a doctor of chiropractic degree, and is a postgraduate diplomate in chiropractic functional neurology.

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